Kelly Buckley is an author and speaker who, through the power of words, has connected with thousands of people worldwide.
Her mission has been to have a conversation about the connection between gratitude and resilience, and how we all have the power to rise above life’s difficulties. Her life’s direction has been molded, as we all are, by the turning points in life; the defining moments that forever change how you see the world. Born and raised in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, on Canada’s East Coast, Kelly grew up in a culture that personifies resilience, forging a happy life in one of nature’s most rugged and untouched locations. Over the course of her life, she has looked back to the roots of her resilient spirit as she dealt with the hurts of life, the biggest being the sudden death of her 23-year-old son Stephen on the 4th of July, 2009.
In response to her loss, Kelly has published two books, Gratitude in Grief and Just One Little Thing. Through her writing and reflection of what remains in troubling times, Kelly was able to not only shift her own perception of loss, but also provide comfort and purpose for others as they navigated loss and trauma. The overwhelming grassroots response to her courageous sharing of her personal journey through grief propelled her to continue, and as a result, she has connected with numerous groups around the globe to add her voice to the discussion about hope after loss.
In addition to her writing, Kelly launched Just One Little Thing, a global Facebook community. Just One Little Thing’s premise is simple; take a moment each day to focus on one little thing you are thankful for, repeat, and a thankful life will start to grow. The group focuses on gratitude, compassion and resilience, and improving our world, just one little thing at a time. With over 125,000 people from more than 45 different countries, members are warmly considered “JOLT’ERS.” Kelly is also a guest contributor for such respected sites as Maria Shriver, the Huffington Post, Open to Hope, and Hello Grief (a division of Comfort Zone Camp) and has been published in Open to Hope’s new book, Open to Hope-Inspirational Stories of Healing After Loss. She also launched a very successful online course in 2015, Roots of Resilience, focused on a resilient, grateful and purpose-driven life.
Through her books, writings, coursework and worldwide JOLT movement, Kelly has had the privilege of experiencing meaningful and personal conversations with over 25,000 women who needed an outlet to express their particular painful life circumstance. Those deeply honest and powerful interactions, along with their bravery to reach out for help, often had Kelly reflect upon how truly strong and wise these women are. She was also reminded of the true power of empathy, support and dialogue, and the common challenges women face no matter where they are. The voices of these women motivated Kelly to build something to complement the inspirational work she was doing. Strong Wise Women provides a safe space; a private community for women to build strength, hope and positivity within one another through the sharing of stories, coursework, resources and genuine kindness. Read Kelly’s beautiful Portrait of a Strong Wise Woman here to learn more about the incentive behind this new initiative.
Kelly began her professional career as a Registered Nurse, and worked as a Health Executive in Canada. She continues to nurse; only now nurturing other souls with her words from her home in North Carolina. She is learning to be comfortable with the fact that she is forever broken, and enjoys helping others become comfortable with the perfection of imperfection in her teaching. Kelly is truly excited to welcome any and all women, who need a haven of love and support, to Strong Wise Women. For more information on booking Kelly as a speaker at your event click here.